Conveyer of the belt type



Sept. 26, 1933. 1 THOMSON 1,928,190

CONVEYER OF THE BELT TYPE Filed July 16, 1932 y ./nnorney:

Patented Sept. 26, 1933 CONVEYER F THE BELT TYPE James Thomson, `Mile End, Glasgow, Scotland, assignor to Mavor & Coulson Limited, Glasgow,

Scotland Application July 16, 1932, Serial No. 622,963, and in Great Britain VOctober 5, 193,1

8 Claims.

This invention relates to conveyers ofthe belt type wherein the lower run ofthe belting and the supporting rollers associated therewith are disposed below inverted troughing. It aims primarily to provide a protection for the -idle run of beltf ing in a simpler and more effective manner than heretofore; to reduce the assembly height of the conveyer; to enable the parts to be quickly assembled or dismantled; to ensure the required alignment of the troughing in a ready fashion; and to extend the sphere of usefulness ofsuch a conveyer by providing a travelling feed hopper to enable loading to `be eiected at different positions in its length. Y

According to the invention, inverted trough sections are employed which overlap at the joints of the section, the overlapping ends being interlocked with a supporting frame to resist vertical displacenent and being held against longitudinal displacement by separate locking means. Each trough section or each of a certain number of trough sections may be adapted tocarry a pair of remove able track rails for a travellinghopper, so that two or three lengths of rail on each side of the troughing will provide' sufficient track for the hopper which can be moved off one pair of track lengths onto'anothe'r, Yleaving the previous track lengths free to be shifted for again receiving the hopperv at another position. Y' The invention may conveniently be applied to 'a conveyer of a type now well known and it will accordingly be further described in connection with such a. conveyer, reference being had to the accompanying drawing for a clear understanding `of the same.

In said drawing: Fig. 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away so as to showin closer relationship to one another than they would actually be;

'40 Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of certain parts of Fig. 1 shown separated somewhat for the sake of greater clarity. l Y

In the illustrative embodiment, the conveyor comprises a belt having an upper run 1 brought or held to a trough-like form by multiple supporting rollers 2 and a lower return run 3 held in at state upon single rollers 4 and protected by the inverted troughing. The parts indicated by 5 in Fig. 1 are portions of one trough section and the parts indicated by 6 are similar portions of an adjacent section, the extremity 5a of the section 5 (Fig. 4) being overlapped by the section 6 when the sections are properly positioned in relation to one another.

Y To secure this positioning, the inverted troughing is supported at the joints by a frame cornprising side angles 7 tied by sled irons 8, such 60 angles being provided with slots 9 at the ends to receive, on assembly of the sections,inturned ends 10 of an iron band 11 which is xed round the inside of the troughing; This serves to keep the troughing from rising from its support in the vertical plane and also determine the distance each trough can be advanced along the frame. The side angles '7 of the supporting frame are also slotted vertically, as at 12, to receive the spindle 13 of the return or bottom belt roller 4, 70 which is retained imposition by locking plates 14 secured as by bolts 15 to the side angles.

For convenience in assembly, each end of each trough section is equipped with a pair of feet 16, one on'each side, adapted to slide upon the angles 75 "i Aof the supporting frame, the feet and troughs both being slotted as at V1'? to clear the bolts 15V should the same be encountered.

The inverted trough' lengths 5, 6 formed to overlap at the joints as aforestated may be held 30 together in thehorizontal plane, that'is to say against end to end separation, by a pointed locking pin 18 having two annular grooves19, 20 forced through brackets, two whereof (21, 22) are xtures on the end of one trough,'i. eL the trough 6, and the third (23) of which is axtureon theadjacent end of the adjoining trough section, in this 'case the trough 5. The single bracket 23 is arranged to occupy a position between the y companion pair of brackets 21, 22 one of which 90 (21) is provided with a grooved spring plunger 24, adapted to automatically lock with the grooves in the locking pin 18. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the lock is effected with groove 19 retaining the locking pin in position when it is fully inserted through the three brackets. The locking pin 18 is prevented from being fully withdrawn from the plunger-equipped bracket 21 by its groove 20 near'- est the point interlocking with the spring plunger. Pushing in the protruding end of the plunger 24 while the interlock exists with groove 19 brings the groove in the plunger into line with the locking pin 18, whichris then free to be withdrawn or displaced from the full line position of Fig. 2 to the position indicated in dot and dash lines for breaking the joint.

The brackets 21, 22, 23 are shown as mounted upon straps 25 secured to the troughs and overhanging the latter so as to engage the upper flanges 26 of the feet 16 which are made of chan- )91:0

nel section to' impart rigidity to the trough ends and at the same time to serve as supports for track angles 27 forming a runway along which a wheeled-hopper 28 can travel. The track angles are preferably made in lengths corresponding to the trough lengths and each is provided at each end with a p'in 29 adapted to be passed through a corresponding hole inthe ilange 26 of the adjacent foot 16 and the overhanging end of Vthe strap 25.

What I claim isz- Y f 1. In a belt conveyer, a plurality of inverted belt-protecting trough sections arranged end to end with their end portions overlapping, a supporting frame therefor including side plates at the juncture or overlapping points, and means interlocking the sections independently with said plates to prevent their vertical displacement while permitting a certain relative movement horizontally.

2. Inga belt conveyer, a plurality of inverted belt-protecting trough sections arranged end to end with overlapping end portions, a supporting frame therefor including side-plate members at the overlap junctures, means interlocking the sectionsindependently with said members against vertical displacement while permitting relative movement horizontally, and separate means for locking the sections against longitudinal displace-V ment. I SQA beltconveyer, comprising a plurality of inverted belt-protecting trough sections in end to end relation, means supporting and holding said sections independently against vertical displacement, means separately connecting the sections together against longitudinal displacement, a feed hopper adapted to straddle and travel over the conveyer belt, and track rails for said hopper supported by the supporting means for the sections, said rails being fewer in number than the sections and adapted to removal and shifting from one position to another so as to enable the hopper to be correspondingly altered in position.

annular grooves. g

in end to end relation with their ends overlapping together, a supporting frame therefor including side-plate members at the overlap junctures, means locking the sections independently to said members against vertical displacement, separate means locking the sections together also against longitudinal displacement a hopper adapted to straddle and travel over said sections and the belt ,trained therealong and track rails removably supported by the frame at the sides of the sections `and adaptedv to shifting from one position to 7. A bolt conveyer such as described comprising in combination with a pair of inverted trough sections having overlapping ends, a supporting frame embodying side plate-members at the overlap junctures, means independently locking the ends of the sections to said members against verf tical-.displacement although allowing a certain horizontal play therebetween, and separate means for `locking the sections against longitudinal displacement; the last-named means comprising a pair of apertured brackets on the end of one section, a single apertured bracket on the opposing end of the other section and disposed between said pair, and a locking pin extending transversely through the apertures of all three brackets.

8. A belt vconveyer according Vto claim 7 wherein the locking pin extending transversely through the apertured brackets is adapted to slide move ment therein and has an annular groove therein near each end defining the limits of its slide movement, while one of said brackets carries anannularlygrooved spring-pressed plunger therein at right angles to the pin serving to lock Within the grooves of the same;r said pin being supported in said plunger-carrying bracket and permitted to slide only when the annularrgroove of the plunger is brought into registervwith one of its yJAMES THOMSON.

iso

ist

, ist 

